Tip of the Month

What items would you advise a new scrapper to buy? Which ones would you tell them to avoid? Why?

kathy m from San Jose CA writes...
Definet buys are: good little scissors (ie: fiskars, or cutter bee) Avoid: any templates that are funny/cutesy shapes. You\'ll look back on your pictures later and wonder what were you thinking.

Danielle from Utah writes...
I would tell them to get a nice, sharp, pointed pair of scissors. To avoid, definately decorative scissors. I have probably twenty pairs of decorative scissors and I do not use any of them at all. I would also avoid buying lots of stickers and pattern paper until you know your style. I bought a lot of stickers that I thought were cute and ended up giving them away because they would never work with my style. Danielle

Michelle Rae from Washington, PA writes...
TO BUY: A good quality album. Don\'t spend alot of money on embellishments and cardstock and film developing if your going to skimp on a good album. I never could understand that thinking. lol! Page Protectors!!!!! (A MUST no matter how much you want to skimp and save money! BELIEVE me I know from experience!) Bazzill Cardstock A Scrapbook Magazine that suits what style you hope to reach The Fiskars EuroTrimmer. Save yourself a couple hundred dollars by not struggling to find the best trimmer. Experienced on that one! The CIS Navigator Tote Fiskars Soft Grip or touch (which is it? lol) scissors Deluxe Cut Templates Blue Photo Pen Becky Higgins Sketch Idea Book WHAT NOT TO BUY: Doodle Cutter and the improved version (NOT!) (Wonder how many times this will be mentioned? lol!) That Fiskars circle cutter thingy. Luckily I never fell victim to that one. Every color and size and style of pen. I don\'t know why I thought I needed every color. I use my Stampin Up pens (48 colors) now but I need them to stamp and I really do NEED them for that. The original Fiskars paper trimmer The CM paper trimmer. (because you\'ll still need a trimmer to cut 12x12 so why buy both?) You don\'t need every gadget out there. Believe me I know! I have them and have either sold tons of things I don\'t know why I bought for less than I paid or I have them sitting here taking up space!!!

Barb from PA writes...
I would not have bought all those decorative scissors. If buying a scrapbook tote bag make sure it has wheels. I bought two orginally. The first one didn\'t know better the second got because I joined Creative Memories to sell for awhile. (no longer in it) Love the quality of the bag but it didn\'t have wheels. If you are going to any crops at all, make sure your tote bag has wheels. I love the letter punches I bought from QVC. They are expensive but if you buy letters from a craft store already cut after about 4 times or so buying them, you have these punches paid for. I would like to get into the habit of not buying paper and stickers just because I like them at the time. If you pre-plan your pages and buy as you need the stuff you are less likely to end up with alot of unused stickers and paper. I have a ton I need to use. I would say also that buy a 12 x 12 cutter first thing because even if you don\'t use 12 x12 now you may later and this will save time and money. I love my corner rounder for photo\'s. This is a must have for me. It softens the photo\'s and makes them look great. I would have thought alittle more of all the templates I bought. I don\'t use alot of them. I diffitently feel you have to have a good and expandable photo album. I am partial to CM albums but I do not sell them anymore. I feel they are high quality and worth the money. I also feel like the other ladies stated that page protectors are a must have. That\'s all for now. HTH

ckay writes...
Do NOT buy every new tool. Start slow and try out any new tool before buying(come to my house-LOL)Concentrate on cardstock, decorative paper and albums. Be sure pages can be easily moved in albums. GOod scissors and something that will cut 12x12 paper. I could go on and on and on about the mistakes I made..LOL but the main thing is to enjoy what you are doing!!!!!

Carla from in NC writes...
Suggestions for new scrappers: Definetely a straight edge paper trimmer & good paper scissors. Cardstock & more cardstock is a must, but I would tell them not to go crazy with too much pattern paper at first. Also a good album, protectors & adhesive are a must as well. I would also suggest a good quality basic black pen that has a tip size for journaling (unless they want to do everything on the computer, like me!). I would tell them to AVOID: ALL decorative scissors - a waste of money, in my opinion - as well as templates with hearts, flowers, shapes, etc.

Geri-Lynn from IL writes...
My tip is short and sweet for beginners. Don\'t get overwhelmed and become a Scrap-buyer like so many of us... Get a pair of great scissors but I would say go to a store with a few pictures in mind and build your layout there.. Paper, cardstock, embellishments.. purchase them and that is it... You\'ll probably have left over stuff to start building upon for your stash...

Maria in Columbus writes...
To Buy: Basic Cardstock, good quality scissors and trimmer, and BH sketches book (I think this is a great design layout book). I would avoid nearly everything else until style is firmly established. Definitely run away from the blade runner and deco scissors, lol.

Andrea in CO from Western CO writes...
Buy: Good scissors with micro tip, good quality cardstock, black pen for journaling, BH book and the new SS on color, a good album and page protectors. Don\'t Buy: lots of patterned paper, lots of cute stickers, shape templates one of all of the new things just because it is new.

Jill in Chicago from Roselle, IL writes...
Page protectors are an absolute must. Good scissors, adhesive (that works well for you), lots of SOLID colored cardstock, thin line black marker, a light pencil, and a good eraser (not the one on your pencil) are just about all your really need. Steer clear of patterned papers, unless you know exactly how you will use them. Same is true of theme specific stickers, and other embellishments. If you have the photos in front of you, and the embellishment works, then splurge. Bring your photos with you to the store. Sometimes something looks \"perfect\" in the store only to find it clashes with the actual photos.

Tracie Lee from Frederick, Md writes...
It\'s all about the album. I love albums by CM. Very good quality. And a good cutting system, I also love CM cutting system and it has a lifetime guarantee.

sosewscrappy from Campbell, CA writes...
Buy good basic tools, like a 12 inch trimmer, scissors, Album, and try a few adhesives to see what you like best. Get a decent palette of colors that you like in Cardstock. Don\'t buy a lot of stickers or die cuts or pens ! You\'ll be surprised how fast that stuff multiplies in you bags !

sosewscrappy from Campbell, CA writes...
Buy good basic tools, like a 12 inch trimmer, scissors, Album, and try a few adhesives to see what you like best. Get a decent palette of colors that you like in Cardstock. Don\'t buy a lot of stickers or die cuts or pens ! You\'ll be surprised how fast that stuff multiplies in you bags !

Dorthy from OH writes...
Like others said, buy products as needed, not as wanted. Spend money on a quality adhesive that you like. Do not overindulge in tools, stickers, die cuts, idea books, or templates. You may need 1 good idea book or magazine to start. I never use decorative scissors, except the Deco (CM is Antique) scissors. A good trimmer and comfortable regular scissors are must haves. I also couldn\'t live without the Red Eye pen. Buy a black journalling pen and buy other pens as absolutely necessary - preferably in quantities of 1 or 2 at a time. Most of us computer journal, but don\'t buy fonts before exhausting your word processing fonts, then the free fonts found on the internet. Specialty paper should only be bought by the sheet. If you must buy a shape cutting tool, go with CM. Most others are too hard. Until you\'ve completed about a dozen LOs, do not purchase any metals or metal setting tools, die cutting systems, frames, punches, or organization systems.

Kansas Kel from Kansas writes...
It\'s important to have the basic tools, which I consider to be a good album with page protectors, a good paper trimmer, a good pair of scissors, and an archival quality black pen. Once you have a feel for your \"style,\" keeping a good variety of cardstock on hand is important, too. The most important piece of advice I would give any new scrapper, though, is DON\'T JUST GO TO THE LSS AND BUY STUFF! Take your photos with you and buy supplies specifically for those layouts! This will help eliminate having a ton of supplies to organize and keep straight, and wasting money on things you may not ever use - or duplicates that you forgot you had! I think this is a mistake a lot of people make!

Nancy from Kansas writes...
For a beginning scrapper I would say to get a good black pen, easy to use adhesive, great pointed scissors that are kept for scrapbooking only(!) and an album that is worth the money. All the cute things you do or add to pages will be nothing if your album doesn\'t stand the test of time. I agree with the main theme of the don\'ts - leave the decorative scissors at the store!!

Cynthia from Indiana writes...

Cynthia from Indiana writes...
Here is my must-have list: 12\" trimmer, archival black pen, adhesive and cardstock. Buy stickers, patterned paper and other embellishments on an \'as needed\' basis so you don\'t get overwhelmed. Beginners might also want to consider using letter templates instead of spending a lot on letter stickers and stamps. My don\'t need list includes shape templates and deco scissors. I haven\'t used mine in a year and a half!

Tonya from South Carolina writes...
I agree with everyone else. First and foremost, really good scissors. I love the cutterbee with teflon coating. They\'re super sharp for fine corners and sticky stuff won\'t leave residue behind. Second, the fiskars 12 inch paper trimmer and extra blades. I also like using the glass mat for cutting. I love the zig color pens as well as the slick writer markers. They\'ll write on a variety of surfaces and come in 3 sizes. Get good quality cardstock and page protectors, too. When it comes to paper, take advantage of sales at Michael\'s and what not. My favorite scrapbook supply place is QVC. They have great today special values that are perfect for beginners. Sometimes they have kits that are complete with album, protectors, and paper. I also like Creating Keepsakes magazine for ideas. I do not recommend buying cutsey anything. It seldom works. I don\'t use alphabet stickers...they\'re just too hard to space evenly. Skip the deco scissors. They seldom line up right as well. Personally, I don\'t like using a glue stick. I prefer using the little blue mounting squares for everything. I also use the zig two way glue. Also, don\'t go for themed packs. It\'s hard to know what is in them and they may not work with your pictures. The main thing is look through a book once, look again, this time marking pages you really like, then look again and see what they have in common. This is the best and cheapest way to find what is most likely your style. Have fun, and remember, no matter what a magazine may try to say, each page does not have to cost a fortune.

Sara71 from Coal City, IL writes...
I would invest in bazzill cardstock, a good idea book, adhesive (I like hermafix)and some good scissors. Until you find your style these basics will enable you to make some simple elegant scrapbook pages. When you find your style you will be able to buy embellishments that show your taste and not waste money like so many of us have with decorative scissors, bright funny looking stickers and funky shaped templates. I hope this helps someone!!! Sara

Ruth from Baltimore writes...
Start out small: a good pair of scissors and acid free glue. Number 1 tip: BUY A GOOD ALBUM!!! You don\'t want to spend hours and hours on an album just to have it fall apart on you. With an idea of the pictures you want to use, build on that theme at the store. I happen to love my decorative scissors and use them in almost every one of my pages. Buy good ones though, not the cheapies. Before you know it you\'ll have lots of stuff from leftover pages and you\'ll be known as the \"scrapbook lady\" I first got into scrapbooking doing my wedding album 3 1/2 years ago -- 14 albums later, I\'m addicted and i have a great supplies.

nicki billotte from pennsylvania writes...
Get a good pair of scizzors! LIKE CUTTERBEES

Susan from Central PA writes...
My faves: Don\'t skimp on film developing services--great photos are your best asset. A good trimmer that accomodates 12x12 paper, good scissors, Perfect Layers (for even matting), basic cardstock to match photos you normally take, standard/ versatile embellishments--I like eyelets, but if you\'re not sure, try some brads as they don\'t require additional tools (and you can customize their color with markers & other mediums. (You won\'t need every color & shape of every embell. you see.) Magazines are great for seeing the different styles and pick up tips and ideas--check the library to see what magazines appeal to you. Things to stay away from: Don\'t buy in bulk or pre-packaged kits unless you\'ve tried & loved the product. Punches aren\'t a good investment unless you can use them over and over. For tools, check around to see if you can find someone who uses it & try it out or get opinions. Albums-as already stated, buy goods ones that will last. However, I don\'t feel that you have to run out and buy one from the start. As long as you know what type of album you want to use, you can do layouts and safely store them until you find the album you want/can afford. If you start out with 8.5x11 and decide to go to 12x12--you can mount your small lo\'s onto coordinating 12x12 cardstock.

Karen in Texas from DFW writes...
Start with good quality albums and page protectors. Gotta go with Bazzil CS, Hermafix adhesive, and a straight edge trimmer long enough for 12 x 12 paper. Don\'t waste money on deco scissors, tons of stickers, blade runners, or every new thing that comes along. Check the SBA often to find out what products are worth your $$$!

Judy in AK writes...
Buy list would include: a varity of cardstock colors, a few sheets of patterned paper, a good paper cutter, box of mounting squares, a pair of small sharp scissors, an acid free black pen, some kind of acid free adhesive, a post bound album with protective sheets, a couple of scrapping magazines, a couple of \"How to\" (techniques) books, a childs coloring book or tole painters book for patterns, a lettering template. Maybe a few paper punches. All the rest should come later after getting some pages completed. Avoid list: Decorative scissors, Blade Runner, most circle cutters, too much primary colored cardstock, any bulky embellishments, any expensive embellishments, stickers (can come much later), pre-pkg. kits, and blank die cuts. Die cutting tools can come much later on.

Stephanie in VA writes...
good fiskars scissors. I would stay away from the decorative scissors. I never used mine much and boy am I grateful now. I would get a good top-loading scrapbook. I also loved my circle punches and square punches in 1-1 1/2 inch sizes. These are so versatile.

Rinda writes...
I\'d start with a set of black pens in a variety of widths; no need to spend money on lots of colors of pens. I\'d also get a variety of adhesives: glue dots, tape runner and glue pen. And lots of cardstock; I\'d avoid too much patterned paper. Rinda

Chris in IN writes...
I would tell a friend to start with; a good pair of scissors, a paper trimmer and plenty of iris carts or other storage containers, for paper and other embellishments, because we all know how quickly this hobby mulitplies on us! What to avoid would be stickers, shaped templates and most punches.

Nannette in CO writes...
Must haves: Good tools - basics like everyone else has posted - scissors, paper trimmer, adhesives, black journaling pen, cardstock. I think the most versatile tools are the computer & printer because you can create just about anything you need for a scrapbook page or even create a digital page, if you prefer. Tools you don\'t neeed: same things that everyone else has posted - multitude of deco cut scissors, although I do use my deckle cut still, templates, Fiskars circle & oval cutters (I prefer Coluzzle), Blade Runner (although it does work if you practice A LOT!), and impulse buy items. I believe in shopping for only what you need. But do as I say and not as I do. :) I tend to get sucked into trendy things and over buy!

Melanie from Okinawa writes...
Find an \"impartial\" (one who does not sell a product) friend who scraps and get their opinion on Albums. Get the friend to show/tell you all of the sizes and brands. There are pros and cons to all. A 12 inch cutter is a must. A sharp pair of scissors and acid free adhesive would be next. A magazine or idea book (Becky Higgins or Simple Scrapbooks). Then depending on the \"craftibility\" of the new scrapper totally copy something out of the book with your own pictures to get the feel of \"how\" scrapbooking is done.

Jean Kinney from Jean Kinney writes...
Good scissors, a 12 by 12 trimmer, photo splits, neutral cardstock (tan, off white, light green, blue and red to start), a 15-inch metal ruler, archival black pen, photo-safe marking pen (to mark dates on the back of photos), Un-Du to reverse your mistakes, double-sided tape, and pages for the style of album (either post-bound or strap hings) you plan on using. Also, get a good photo storae and sorting system. Don\'t get a lot of stickers at first - I found rubber stamps for the alphabet superior to letter stickers for titles, and you can color them with marker pens. You can get color-coordinated sets of marker pens from several companies. Start with a neutral set. You can get an album after you decide if you are going to use strap hinge or post-bound. (I use both, but prefer the post-bound top loaders.) DON\'T get decorative scissors (I have two pairs and have used one once), lots of stickers or embellishments to start. You will develop your style and preferences over the first couple of years; then you can get embellishments and patterned paper! And you might as well get one of those big wheeled cases - you\'re going to need it and it will save your back and shoulders.

Monica from Missouri writes...
The most important supply - a good camera (the best you can afford), and a trustworthy developer. Good pictures are the best motivator in the world for me to get scrapping! A wide variety of cardstock is a must - I wish I hadn\'t gone crazy over patterned paper that I\'m certain I\'ll never use up. Find a good adhesive that you like to use and that you feel confident will hold up (I like the little photo squares, but I\'ve been scrapping since 1997 and it\'s what I\'m used to!) I use them only on the corners of my pictures and mats, just in case 50 years from now they need to be replaced!

Danette from Eastern Panhandle -- West Virgina writes...
I would tell someone new to scrapbooking to buy---good cardstock, plain and patterned, 8 1/2 x 11 & 12 x 12. I also agree on buying a GOOD album, GOOD page protectors, a good adhesive, a GREAT pair of micro-tip scissors and a good trimmer that cuts all sizes of paper. My \"fav\" embellishments that I couldn\'t do without are eyelets and brads, so you would need the tools for those and if you buy the Making Memories tool kit you will have most of the tools you need for scrappin\'. Also, the Shape Cutter from Fiskars is another \"fav\" of mine, you can cut anything with it and it is so easy to learn. Do NOT buy the decorative scissors, they aren\'t worth it. Only buy the stickers you need for the current project you are working on at that time, same for the die cuts. If you have a computer and you have access to the internet, there are 100\'s of sites that offer free stuff for scrapbooking and lots of sites that offer free fonts also. You can also find lots of clip art and print it out and make your own stickers. Invest in the avery 8 1/2 x 11 full sticker sheet. Use them when you are printing out full sheets of clip art to be used for stickers, all you need to do is to peel the back off. If your town has indoor flea markets like my town, check for paper and things there, you wouldn\'t believe what you can find and the low low price you pay for stuff.

Danette from Eastern Panhandle -- West Virgina writes...
I would tell someone new to scrapbooking to buy---good cardstock, plain and patterned, 8 1/2 x 11 & 12 x 12. I also agree on buying a GOOD album, GOOD page protectors, a good adhesive, a GREAT pair of micro-tip scissors and a good trimmer that cuts all sizes of paper. My \"fav\" embellishments that I couldn\'t do without are eyelets and brads, so you would need the tools for those and if you buy the Making Memories tool kit you will have most of the tools you need for scrappin\'. Also, the Shape Cutter from Fiskars is another \"fav\" of mine, you can cut anything with it and it is so easy to learn. Do NOT buy the decorative scissors, they aren\'t worth it. Only buy the stickers you need for the current project you are working on at that time, same for the die cuts. If you have a computer and you have access to the internet, there are 100\'s of sites that offer free stuff for scrapbooking and lots of sites that offer free fonts also. You can also find lots of clip art and print it out and make your own stickers. Invest in the avery 8 1/2 x 11 full sticker sheet. Use them when you are printing out full sheets of clip art to be used for stickers, all you need to do is to peel the back off. If your town has indoor flea markets like my town, check for paper and things there, you wouldn\'t believe what you can find and the low low price you pay for stuff.

Chris in IN from Schererville, IN writes...
Besides a good pair of scissors, paper, etc. I would suggest a computer. For ideas, computer journaling, and inspiration from scrapbook related sites and GREAT message boards like SBA. Seriously, I couldn\'t live without my compter for this hobby. ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Jendula from Oceanside, CA writes...
I\'d definately say get some comfortable and sharp scissors. I also have to have my personal trimmer. The last thing is cardstock, but not too much. I would avoid buying large marker collections, deco scissors, and random stickers. Those things are all just sitting on my scrap table collecting dust!

Kat from New York - but living in California writes...
Buy books of papers that you like the style of. They tend to have papers that go well together already, which makes it easier to design your pages. Otherwise you spend more on individual pages and end up with a lot of pretty paper that you have nothing that goes with it. Also when you are stumped you can go through the papers in the books and find something. This also helps you stay with a style or color type (pastels, muted, etc.) so more of your stuff works together. This one thing has saved me lots of time and money, and last minute trips to the store.

lana from delaware, ohio writes...
I would recommend good scissors, straight edge, mat, glue, picture tabs (hermafix), good album, plain cardstock, some patterned - perhaps some plaids and simple florals, a magazine like simple scrap. a 12 inch cutter, a good lss, and a first iris cart to keep everything organized in (the first of many iris carts!). I would avoid decorative scissors, scrapbook paper that has large scenes. my recommendation would be to start small and expand as youget to know your style.

Bernadine from California writes...
Buy: A good eraser. In the beginning I used pencil to outline where I wanted things to go and my white Staedler eraser never let me down. It has always erased every mark perfectly. Avoid: Any kind of plastic template. I have a few and when I used them the picture or letters didn\'t come out the way I thought it would, and some of the templates cost up to $10. I felt like it was a waste of money.

MicheleR from Scrappiness.com writes...
Don\'t buy everything just because it\'s cute and you have to have it. Yes, I know this will be hard. Purchase by the layout (except for necessities like glue, trimmer, etc.). You\'ll save money in the long run by not having a stash of paper you now hate, by not having to buy storage for the ton of paper you now hate! I would recommend taking the free classes at Archiver\'s and other stores, go to the crops and talk to the other scrappers and view their books. Find a scrapping buddy to keep you motivated!

scraparr from Hampden, ME writes...
Must haves: 12 inch trimmer, good scissor, cardstock in a variety of colors, several widths of archival black markers, a photo marker (so you can safely write dates & details of the back of your photos), several types of adhesives, & Becky Higgins\' 2 books (Sketches and Creative Companion). Definitely avoid: decorative scissors, Fiskars Shape Boss & Shape Cutter, Blade Runner. Buy slowly, sparingly, & with great caution: stickers, templates, punches, die cuts, patterned paper, any new gadget or embellishment.

Gail from Manalapan, NJ writes...
Besides a good album and a selection of cardstock, a beginner would need scissors and a paper trimmer. But, unlike most paper, I would actually recommend starting with some stickers. Don\'t go nuts and buy everything, but just some that could go with many types of layouts like flowers, butterflies, etc. The reason for this is that even though its possible to create many embellishments yourself just from things like cardstock and eyelets, that could be overwhelming for a new scrapper. Stickers are easy and help you get a beautiful page done quickly. Then you can move on to other types of embellishments and tools. There\'s nothing in particular I\'d avoid because everyone has their own taste. You may like the look of decorative scissors that many say to avoid. I would just advise to buy slowly. Try one new thing at a time and only buy when you are ready to try a new technique or a new look.